New York — Luxury fashion giant Gucci America, Inc. has escalated its legal actions against retailer Lord & Taylor Ecomm LLC, seeking a court’s assistance to enforce a judgment over alleged counterfeit sales. Gucci claims that despite a court order, Lord & Taylor has not ceased possessing or selling fake Gucci items, prompting the high-end brand to request a motion for civil contempt in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
The legal confrontation began in November 2023 when Gucci filed a lawsuit against Lord & Taylor, alleging that the retailer sold counterfeit versions of its products, including handbags, shoes, and belts through its e-commerce platform. According to the lawsuit, these products infringed on Gucci’s registered trademarks and iconic designs.
Following the initial complaint, Lord & Taylor seemed to cooperate with a court-mandated inventory inspection at one of their New Jersey warehouses. The inspection confirmed the presence of counterfeit items as alleged by Gucci. However, subsequent to this compliance, Lord & Taylor ceased to respond to Gucci’s requests for further discovery, leading the court to issue a default judgment in favor of Gucci in the summer of 2024.
This judgment found Lord & Taylor liable for trademark infringement, counterfeiting, and brand dilution, and included a permanent injunction prohibiting the sale of counterfeit Gucci products. Moreover, the court ordered Lord & Taylor to hand over all counterfeit inventory for impoundment and destruction.
Despite this clear directive, Lord & Taylor has not complied with the order. Gucci, in its latest court filings dated February 6, expressed its frustration over Lord & Taylor’s disregard for the legal mandates and proposed that law enforcement, including the U.S. Marshals Service, be authorized to seize the counterfeit goods directly.
Gucci is also urging the court to apply sanctions against Lord & Taylor for their continual noncompliance. Drawing upon legal precedents, Gucci contends that the evidences of Lord & Taylor’s violations are convincing and clear, thus meeting the conditions for finding the retailer in civil contempt.
This legal battle unfolds against a backdrop of challenges for Lord & Taylor. The retailer filed for bankruptcy in 2020 and, despite an acquisition and attempt at a fresh start by the Saadia Group, faced closures after relaunching as an online-only store in April 2021. This venture was short-lived as Saadia Group shut down following a default on significant loan obligations. Regal Brands Global subsequently acquired the intellectual property of Lord & Taylor in September 2024 and is set to attempt yet another relaunch of the brand.
This ongoing legal issue casts a long shadow over the future revival efforts of Lord & Taylor, and further complicates the retailer’s troubled recent history. The outcome of this case and potential compliance by Lord & Taylor could significantly impact the retailer’s restoration attempts under its new ownership.
The case, officially known as Gucci America, Inc. v. Lord & Taylor EComm LLC, continues to unfold and will be closely watched for implications it may have on trademark enforcement and e-commerce authenticity standards.
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